Sports and Games

Ekhaya for own fan base, to fight for survival

Ekhaya for own fan base, to fight for survival

Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) League Thumbs Up Premier Division champions Ekhaya United have said they will create their own fan base as they prepare to make their TNM Super League debut.

Ekhaya won the regional championship with a match to spare after beating Nyambadwe United 2-0 at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on Thursday.

The club’s Chief Executive Officer, William Mpinganjira, said there is a huge fan base in the local game which they believe would be very excited to join their camp.

“This is the fan base that does not support any of the big teams here in Blantyre and in the Southern Region. We want to bring the youngsters on board. The feeling out there is that the youth cannot achieve their goals. But we want to prove that theory wrong. Those who are [FCB Nyasa Big] Bullets and [Mighty Mukuru] Wanderers supporters should remain where they are because those are their clubs,” Mpinganjira said.

He said their priority as rookies in the top flight league will be avoiding relegation.

“We do not have temporary measures as a club. We are organised enough to make the necessary arrangements for ensuring that we survive relegation. Those that came into the Super League and went out were very short term in their planning. But with us it is different. We had a core team while in Division One.

“It was this team which helped us to win the championship and we went on to earn Premier Division promotion in our first season. In the Premier Division we maintained this team and built on it. We will do the same in the Super League and keep our place there. So the key objective is survival. Once that is done, we will start fighting for trophies,” Mpinganjira said.

SRFA Vice General Secretary Kingsley Simbeye said Ekhaya will lift the trophy on Wednesday after their match against Bullets Reserve at Kamuzu Stadium.

Ekhaya have an unassailable 31 points from 13 matches with Red Lions coming second having amassed 26 points from a similar number of assignments.